=== Todays Toon ===
Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE, QC (born 4 January 1931), Australian judge and the 22nd Governor-General of Australia.
=== Bible Quote ===
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”- Romans 15:7=== Headlines ===
Obama: Less U.S. Spending, More Policies to Help World
President tells U.N. conference that the U.S. will focus less on spending money and more on helping countries develop by using diplomacy, trade, and investment policies.Curses! Dem Drops F-Bomb on Tea Party
The head of the Ohio Democratic Party is brushing off his expletive-filled description of Tea Partiers and other opponents of President Obama's health care law, saying he shares a penchant for blurting with VP Biden
GOP Will Not Pull Plug on Murkowski
In a surprise twist, Senate Republicans decide not to strip Alaska senator of her ranking atop energy committee — a move showing solidarity in rough-and-tumble election year
McCain, Napolitano In Own Border War
Arizona natives duke it out in Washington over growing violence near their state, with a six-minute exchange between Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and Sen. John McCain becoming increasingly heated
The GOP's New 'Pledge': Reduce Spending, Cut Taxes
House GOP members will get first glimpse of the party's new game plan, a legislative agenda culled together from Republicans' 'America Speaking Out Initiative' that includes an end to 'job-killing tax hikes.'Breaking News
Out of fuel chopper lands in bayA NEW York Police Department helicopter made an emergency landing in Jamaica Bay today near the police department’s aviation base after it ran out of fuel.
Leave sharks in peace, nations plead
TINY Palau and Honduras today declared that their ocean waters are shark-infested and they want the rest of the world to jump right in.
US traders put stock rally on hold
TRADERS put their September stock rally on hold and moved into Treasurys and gold today, a day after the Federal Reserve said it was ready to take more action to boost the economy.
Three arrested in drug raid
THREE men are in custody on a raft of charges following a series of drug raids across Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Anna Nicole Smith 'not addicted'
A PAIN management doctor says Anna Nicole Smith was not a prescription drug addict and rebuffed a prosecutor's suggestion that prescriptions for 1500 pills in one month don't prove addiction.
Blaze destroys shops
A FIRE has gutted two retail premises in Albury on the NSW-Victoria border.
Driver 'clocked at 222km/h'
A SYDNEY man caught driving more than 220km/h has been remanded in custody days after his licence was reinstated for previous speeding offences.
Greek truckers block highways
PROTESTING truck drivers blocked traffic for hours on Greece's two busiest highways and clashed with police in front of parliament today, as lawmakers approved a shake-up of labour market rules as part of an agreement for international rescue loans.
Flotilla raid broke international law
A GROUP of UN-appointed experts says Israeli forces violated international law "including international humanitarian and human rights law" during and after their raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.
'Stalker' won't stop till he meets Madonna
THE 59-YEAR-OLD retired firefighter busted twice in four days outside Madonna's Upper West Side apartment was charged overnight with stalking the pop icon, and he said he "won't stop" until he actually meets the singer.
NSW/ACT
Blaze destroys shops in AlburyA FIRE has gutted two retail premises in Albury on the NSW-Victoria border.
Childcare centres fail basic hygiene
ONE in five of the nation's childcare centres fail to change nappies hygienically or ensure they get enough sleep, a new report shows.
Flats search for Tegan's father
A JURY hears evidence from those who lived in the flats where Keli Lane's "affair" took place.
Criminals targeting our ATMs
OUTDATED banking technology has made Australia a prime target for international ATM skimming gangs, with millions lost each year.
Truckies charged over drug use
TWO drivers from the same Penrith trucking company allegedly used drugs before being involved in unrelated fatal crashes.
Push for the bush lifestyle
SYDNEY'S population squeeze is pushing people over the Great Divide as an ad campaign urges professionals to flee the city.
Council's bike path defence
THE City of Sydney has denied it disregarded community views about building cycleways in central Sydney. Are they riight?
Another pollie to be quizzed
ANGELA D'Amore, parliamentary secretary to the police minister, faces ICAC after she was alleged to have rorted staff entitlements.
Ex-lover in court over sex letters
AMANDA Carter's former boyfriend maintained his innocence in court over allegations he had sent letters accusing her of an affair.
One Fleur over the locust nest
PILOT Fleur Vaughan will go to war in the skies against an enemy that is six trillion in number.
Queensland
Susan Falls on fraud chargesSUSAN Falls was acquitted of violently murdering her husband but will now face fraud charges in a Gold Coast court.
Dog food for cop whistleblower
A POLICE officer was given dog food as a "secret Santa" present at a police Christmas party after making a complaint about a colleague.
Six months in jail for $19 theft
A MAN spent six months in custody for an offence which equated to a return of less than 10 cents per day in jail, the District Court was told.
Latest police recruit is a ferret
POLICE unmask new vigilante who will combat cyber-fraud: a ferret with a red cape.
Tearful drunk's car rampage shame
TEARFUL drink-driver sentenced over a terrifying rampage through suburban streets says he deserves to be ``named and shamed''.
Home burns to the ground
A SUBURBAN house has been destroyed by fire this morning.
Asbestos scare at Cairns school
CEILING panels containing asbestos in two classrooms at a Cairns school are being repaired over the school holidays and inspections are under way.
Fugitive 'tried to kill cop dog'
A MAN is facing charges after allegedly trying to kill a police dog during a scuffle in a suburban yard.
Driver 'dragged body off road'
DRIVER accused of running down and killing pedestrian was drunk and tried to drag the body off the road, a court has heard.
Signal jam for stalkers
BRISBANE tech-heads have developed a world-first mobile phone application to prevent predators using GPS technology to track victims.
Victoria
Van gatecrashes stadium actionUPDATE 12pm: SECURITY footage shows a van that rammed its way into Etihad Stadium last night, returned at 2am this morning.
Fresh call to ban smoking outside
A PEAK medical lobby group has called on Victoria to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas.
Cinema held up by armed teen
A TEENAGER has been charged over an alleged attempted armed robbery at a Shepparton cinema.
Masked bandit in pokie terror
A GUNMAN brandished a sawn off firearm during an armed robbery in Melbourne's north early this morning.
Man held over elderly attack
A MAN has been remanded in custody over the alleged bashing of a 78-year-old man in Melbourne's north earlier this week.
Jack Barker joins true saints
IT was a sombre aside to what most mourners at yesterday's funeral for Jack Barker, the father of St Kilda great Trevor, trust will be a triumphal week.
Thrills or skills, take your pick
THEY may be cheap, but some of the thrills at the Royal Melbourne Show will leave you a quivering mess.
Fare hike will clog roads - users
UPDATE 10.55am: HIKING fares to bankroll transport projects will force more cars onto our clogged roads, user group says.
Radical formula plan 'has merit'
UPDATE 12pm: BREASTFEEDING advocates say a controversial call to make infant formula available only on prescription has merit.
Give our boy a go - Baker's dad
THE father of Saints defender Steven Baker says if his son is not picked in the grand final tears may be shed.
Northern Territory
Aborigines make 1800km trek to safetyARRIVAL of 100 traumatised Aborigines from riot-torn area leaves South Australian authorities scrambling to find them shelter.
Residents seek refuge from town violence
ABOUT 100 people from the embattled Northern Territory community of Yuendumu have sought refuge in South Australia, against the advice of NT police.
South Australia
Baby girl's death 'suspicious'THE death of an 18-month-old Smithfield Plains girl has been declared a major crime.
Five arrested over motorcycle theft
FIVE people have been arrested after allegedly stealing a motorcycle from an eastern suburbs home.
Unconscious man could be from SA
AN UNIDENTIFIED man found unconscious in a church in Victoria may be from South Australia.
Truck loses brakes, hits cars
BRAKE failure is the probable cause of a truck crash at the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway this morning.
Hyde reveals murder call
POLICE Commissioner Mal Hyde has used the transcript of the call made by a murdered Callington woman to defend his criticism of an operator who did not send a patrol.
Waste levy rise will force up rates - LGA
THE State Government's Budget measure to increase the solid waste levy will force council rates to rise, the Local Government Association says.
Widow wants to speak at McGee inquiry
THE board investigating a claim against lawyer Eugene McGee is being asked to defer its decision so the widow of crash victim Ian Humphrey can give evidence.
Charities on knife edge
NINE charity organisations are under investigation for problems ranging from not keeping the right books to unexplained funds.
Homeless flee from riots to Adelaide
ABOUT 100 Aboriginal people have sought refuge in Adelaide's northern suburbs in the wake of a stabbing death, a feud and a riot in an Outback community.
MasterChef 'not good for your kids'
PUSHY MasterChef-watching parents, who want their children to make lavish culinary creations, risk neglecting important basic kitchen skills.
Western Australia
Drunks to lose licence at roadsideDRINK drivers will lose their licences at the roadside under new laws to be introduced into Parliament today.
Voluntary euthanasia bill fails
A CONTROVERSIAL bill that would have made WA the first state in Australia to legalise euthanasia has been defeated after MPs were given a conscience vote.
Tea Party brewing says Barnett
WEST Australian Premier Colin Barnett has warned of a growing Tea Party-like sentiment in the west.
Fortescue blamed for cyclone death
PROSECUTORS have blamed Fortescue Metals Group for the death of a worker after when a cyclone hit the Pilbara three years ago.
Cockburn Cement denies health problem
A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry will probe dust, odour and alleged health issues plaguing communities surrounding Cockburn Cement's Munster plant.
WA police trial new speed cameras
WESTERN Australia has begun trialling speed cameras inside police vehicles.
Man pleads guilty to Di Risio murder
A PERTH man has pleaded guilty to murdering 21-year-old Alessio Di Risio by stabbing him to death outside his Tuart Hill home.
Parents 'suspects' in toddler death
THE parents of a toddler who died after being found unconscious in a washing machine are considered suspects in his death, their lawyer says.
Hames gave patient lethal drug dose
HEALTH Minister Kim Hames has revealed he assisted a terminally ill patient shorten their life with a lethal dose of morphine.
Tough smoking laws now in force
WESTERN Australia has implemented the toughest anti-smoking laws in the country.
Tasmania
Guards attacked by inmates at prisonSIX prison officers are in hospital after being attacked by inmates at a Tasmanian prison.
Jury taken to yacht in murder trial
THE jury in the trial of a Hobart woman accused of murdering her medical specialist partner has been taken to the site where he was allegedly killed.
=== Journalists Corner ===
Jon Stewart on 'The Factor'!How has the comedian ascended to King of Political Satire? Tune in as O'Reilly and Jon Stewart square off in the 'No Spin Zone'!
===
Making the Cut!
Can the GOP get Dems to extend tax cuts ... before they cut out for their break? Texas Governor Rick Perry has answers and insight.
===
Laura Bush Goes 'On the Record'
Why former First Lady Laura Bush's plan will help people pave the way for real change in America. Don't miss her interview with Greta.
===
On Fox News Insider:
Christine O'Donnell: No More National Media AppearancesTurned Away at the Voting Booth for Wearing a Tea Party T-shirt?
Video: Miami High-Speed Car Chase Ends in Arrests
=== Comments ===
President Obama and the FolksBY BILL O'REILLY
With simplicity and directness, everyday American Velma Hart has defined President Obama's current dilemma.
Ms. Hart is a financial officer for a veterans' organization and the mother of two. She is not happy about where America is these days, and put President Obama on the spot on Monday during a town hall meeting:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VELMA HART, PRESIDENT OBAMA SUPPORTER: I'm one of your middle-class Americans and, quite frankly, I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now. I have been told that I voted for a man who said he was going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class. I'm one of those people and I'm waiting, sir. I'm waiting. I don't feel it yet, and I thought while it wouldn't be in great measure, I would feel it in some small measure. I have two children in private school and the financial recession has taken an enormous toll on my family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Ms. Hart speaks for millions of Americans who are simply fed up with politics. They are suffering and relief is not in sight. So the president is caught in a very difficult position.
Ms. Hart likes Mr. Obama, but she is being honest. Her circumstance is not good.
About the only thing the president could do was tick off a few accomplishments:
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRESIDENT OBAMA: When you say there are things that you would like to see happen or you are hoping to see happen that haven't happened yet, let me just give you a couple examples. A million more students are going to be able to get loans and grants and scholarships to go to college. The credit card companies can't increase your interest rate without notifying you, and they can't increase your interest rate on previous balances. And if your child, heaven forbid, had a pre-existing condition, before I took office you were out of luck in terms of being able to get health insurance for that child. Now, insurance companies have to give you health insurance for that child, and by the way, that health insurance company can't drop you if you get sick.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
THE QUESTION: Is that enough to calm Velma Hart and other working Americans?
The president has accomplished some things, no doubt. But overall the country remains in dubious shape.
But there is more to the country's disenchantment than the economy.
By passing Obamacare, the president is forcing Americans to buy health insurance. But he's also subsidizing tens of millions of people who can't afford health insurance.
Those two things are not sitting well with many Americans. They don't want to be forced to buy anything. They resent having their tax money given to other folks, especially when they themselves are struggling.
Also, the president comes across as a guy who doesn't quite understand why some folks are frustrated with him. There's a gap between the everyday American and the Harvard lawyer.
So there are storm clouds hovering over the White House, and Mr. Obama has to know it. He and his party are on the defensive, and the Republicans are in no mood to work with the president on anything. That's not good news for the United States of America.
Political chaos is the last thing we need, but that's what we have.
===
Why NOT Having Sex Might be Good for You
By Steven Crowder
Sex. Some of us do it, most of us like it and we all think about it…. A lot. I know I do (though I was told that it’s normal). Gettin’ busy really isn’t the taboo subject that it once was.
Whereas once upon a time the conversation was relegated to whispers behind closed doors, nowadays it’s discussed openly and without shame. As a stand-up comedian, I’ve seen hacks openly depict the most depraved, explicit sexual acts they can think of just to get a laugh out of the audience. Clearly, telling wiener jokes is no longer the treading of new territory that it once was.
Funnily enough, today there is one area of sex that when discussed, still makes people’s posteriors pucker with discomfort… abstinence.
The idea of abstinence has become somewhat of a punchline in this country. From the myth of unrealistic “abstinence only” education, to the media’s constant portrayal (and mockery) of young, nerdy, out of touch Christians riddled with chastity pendants, the message on abstinence being pumped through pop-culture is clear; If you’re abstinent it’s either because A) you’re ugly or B) you’re a loser. In my case, it was often both.
Maybe it’s just the lack of fun-factor, or maybe it started with harlotry being misused as a fulcrum for women’s liberation, but if you so much as suggest to someone that abstinence might be beneficial, you’ll often find yourself vilified as a judgmental jackass faster than Bill Maher can throw up his dainty hands.
Sure, Michelle Obama can run around the country and condemn little fatties for inhaling Little Debbies, but if you try and apply that same helpful, healthful concept to sex, it’s seen as pushy and/or prudish.
Listen, one doesn’t need to be religious (nor a rocket scientist) to see the value of abstinence. Let’s disregard the immediately eliminated risk of increasingly popular STD’ and STI’s. Heck, let’s even discount the statistical data showing that sexual exclusivity seems overwhelmingly conducive to a successful marriage .Abstinence also provides an incomparable bond of trust in a relationship.
Yes, I admit it, I’m in a long-term relationship and I’m abstinent. Scandalous, I know. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do (mostly for me, because she’s way out of my league), and that’s what makes it so important.
I can tell you beyond any doubt, that my lady is able to control herself and stick to her values regardless of circumstance. Just as surely, she can say the same about me (Ben&Jerry’s benders notwithstanding). It is that display of self-control, that tangible example of living your principles through your life’s walk that ensures her that I won’t be jumping on the first well-proportioned opportunity that comes my way.
By the same token, I can rest easy knowing that my dame won’t be trying to bed Jersey Shore’s “The Situation” anytime soon. -- Though he does have great abs.
Strong trust is the result. Constantly we hear cries of women aimed at their supposedly overly jealous boyfriends, “What’s the matter? Don’t you trust me?”
No, he doesn’t. You slept with him on the first date and there is no reason for him to think that you wouldn’t do the same when a better offer comes along.
While we’re on the subject, has the whole floozie shtick really empowered any women out there? I would imagine that immediate sexual gratification being assumed in modern relationships would do more damage to your gatekeeper status than good. I’d also have to imagine that sex with someone whom you share trust, loyalty and open communication would be far more liberating than the thrill of any one-night stand you could enjoy.
Then again, what do I know? I’m just a young, sexless, STD-free-moron in love. You should try it sometime...though I’m not here to judge.
Steven Crowder is a comedian, actor, writer and Fox News contributor.
===
Hillary Was Right
By KT McFarland
Hillary was right all along. President Obama wasn’t ready for the 3:00 a.m. phone call. As Bob Woodward’s new book, "Obama’s War," demonstrates in page after page, President Obama doesn’t know how to be a good wartime president, and doesn’t really want to be one. He sees it as a distraction from his goal of transforming America, and his aides’ worry it will be hard to spin in a reelection campaign.
President Obama may complain that he inherited the Afghanistan War and yet again try to blame Bush. But the fact remains that candidate Obama said Afghanistan would be HIS war, that it was the Good War, the War of Necessity in contrast to Iraq, which was Bush's War of Choice. And as "Obama's War" describes in great detail, once in office the president changed his commanders, altered our military strategy and added more troops – lots of them. Yet Woodward’s book shows us he did so not because he thought we could win, but because of politics.
A fundamental rule of warfare is if you have a military mission, you must provide the resources required to achieve that mission. If you’re not willing to pay the price, you need to change the mission; otherwise you’re setting up a situation designed to fail.
Yet that seems the trap Obama has fallen into. He’s ordered a near-term exit from Afghanistan, but at the same time wants to destroy Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan’s tribal regions. His military advisers warned that such a strategy would require a lot more troops and a lot more time.
But Obama went against their advice and has now has the Afghanistan War on a footing where failure is all but inevitable. He’s given the commanders more troops, although not as many as they asked for; but at the same time set a firm withdrawal date. The troops will be packing up and coming home almost before they’re finished unpacking. Why? Not because it will lead to victory, or save lives, but because of politics. “I have to say that,” Mr. Obama tells Sen Lindsey Graham. “I can’t let this be a war without end, and I can’t lose the whole Democratic Party.”
Yes, even some of Obama's top aides – military and civilian – think he’s pursuing a strategy that “can’t work.”
The one lesson we learned in Vietnam is we shouldn’t fight a war unless we’re willing to devote the resources necessary to win it. Yet, for all the self-proclaimed intelligence of the Obama White House, it’s the one lesson they’ve missed.
Kathleen Troia "K.T." McFarland is a Fox News National Security Analyst and host of FoxNews.com's DefCon 3. She is a Distinguished Adviser to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and served in national security posts in the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations. She wrote Secretary of Defense Weinberger’s November 1984 "Principles of War Speech" which laid out the Weinberger Doctrine. Be sure to watch "K.T." every Monday at 10 a.m. ET on FoxNews.com's "DefCon3" already one of the Web's most watched national security programs.
===
The Battle for the Future
By John Stossel
For most of the life of America, and when it grew fastest, government spent just a few hundred dollars per person. Today, the federal government alone spends $10,000. Politicians talk about cuts, but the cuts rarely happen. The political class always needs more.
I see the pressure. All day, Congress listens to people who say they need and deserve help.
The cost of any one program per taxpayer is small, but the benefits are concentrated on well-organized interest groups. It's tough for a weak politician to say no.
But maybe things are changing. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., believes that "more and more people in America are beginning to wake up to the fact that this thing is coming unglued."
In my Fox News special this weekend, "The Battle for the Future," I ask Ryan why his colleagues say it's OK to spend more. Are they just stupid? Don't they care? Or are they pandering for votes?
"Pandering could be a part of it," he said. "But ... they believe that the government should be far larger." They are taught that by the progressives who rule academia, like Columbia University Professor Marc Lamont Hill.
"We have to make sure that the most vulnerable people are always protected," Hill says. Everyone benefits when we pay a little bit more to create universal health care. Everyone benefits when we pay a little more to have better public education systems."
Progressives use the word "we" too often. When I argued the that "we" and "government" are not the same, he said, "We always talk about the government like it's this monster in the hills that comes down and hands things out and takes our tax money."
Well, yes.
Those are "libertarian fairytales," Hill says. "In real life, the government is us."
Government is not "us." Well, it's us in the sense that we pay the bills. But it ain't us. It's them, the policy elite and their patrons.
What percent of the economy does Hill think government should be?
"For me, housing, health care and education, in addition to national defense, are things that the government must provide for people.
So if that means 20 percent, I'm OK with it. If it means 30 percent, I'm OK with it. I don't think it'll ever get that big."
Give me a break. It's already at 40 percent!
All that spending is taken from your and my pockets -- some in taxes, much in sneakier ways like government borrowing. The national debt -- now $13 trillion -- simply represents future taxes or the erosion of the dollar.
Yet progressives want us to pay more. One woman activist told our camera, "It costs to live in a civilized society, and we all need to pay our fair share."
Our "fair share" sounds good. Progressives say taking from the rich to help the poor is simply fair.
I put that to Arthur Brooks, who heads the American Enterprise Institute.
"No, the fairest system is the one that rewards the makers in society as opposed to rewarding the takers in society."
Brooks wrote "The Battle," which argues that the fight between free enterprise and big government will shape our future.
"The way that our culture is moving now is toward more redistribution, toward more progressive taxation, exempting more people from paying anything, and loading more of the taxes onto the very top earners in our society."
But it seems "kind" to take it away from wealthier people and give it to those who need it more.
"Actually, it's not," Brooks says. "The government does not create wealth. It uses wealth that's been created by the private sector."
He warns that "Americans are in open rebellion today because the government is threatening to take us from a 'maker' nation into 'taker' nation status."
Americans in "open rebellion"? I'm skeptical. Handouts create fierce constituencies.
The Tea Party movement is wonderful, but it takes strength to say no to government freebies. When I've said to Tea Partiers, "We should cut Medicare, eliminate agriculture subsidies, kill entire federal agencies," the enthusiasm usually fades from their eyes.
I hope that I am wrong and Brooks is right.
John Stossel is host of "Stossel" on the Fox Business Network. The show airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. and midnight ET. It re-airs Fridays at 10 p.m., Saturdays at 9 p.m. and 12 midnight, and Sundays at 10 p.m. (all times eastern). He's also the author of "Give Me a Break" and of "Myth, Lies, and Downright Stupidity."
===
NEW PARADIGM
Tim Blair
Julia Gillard, August 16:
There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead.But now:
Australian Climate Change Minister Greg Combet said all options for putting a price on emissions will be considered by Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s minority government, including a carbon tax.This process began a week or so back.
===
LOOK AROUND YOU
Tim Blair
A Sydney Morning Herald staffer asks new arrivals to dress appropriately in Australia:
Have a look around you. Are the locals wearing bikini tops around town? Or are they covered up? Are the blokes running around in board shorts, or are they in long pants and shirts? Adopt the same standards as everyone around you, and you’ll be fine.In fact, our clothing correspondent is informing Australians travelling overseas. But that advice should work both ways.
UPDATE. As she’s done previously, Elizabeth Farrelly presents a feminist challenge:
The burqa is a blank; a deliberate erasure not only of public face, but of one’s entire public existence …
It is alarming to find one self agreeing with Fred Nile, especially on gender issues. But feminists should fess up. The burqa belongs in cultures that still have bride-price. It is an antediluvian title deed, an all-enveloping, owned sexual identity. It’s not for sale, because it is already bought and paid for.
===
TANTRIC PARKING
Tim Blair
Yoga-themed parking tickets in Massachusetts:
That’s the latest New Age answer to modern aggravations from the city of Cambridge, where violation notices are now helpfully illustrated with a series of calming yoga poses …Not so, Mr Noh. One guy likes it a lot:
“I don’t think it’s working,” Hyunho Noh, 29, of Cambridge said yesterday, paying a $25 ticket featuring the “citation salutation,” a play on yoga’s Sun Salutation. “I don’t like it. There’s no way to like it,” he said.
The city printed 40,000 yoga parking tickets as part of a public art project by artist-in-residence Daniel Peltz …That’s just beautiful. In other extortion news, a few weeks ago I drove through Victoria, an Australian licence-removal facility in the nation’s south. Determined to avoid any fines, I drove like an elderly Green. “This is nice,” said the girl. “It’s very relaxing when you keep below the speed limit.” Not for me, it wasn’t.
Peltz envisions “a reflection on a social situation, the human experience of giving and receiving parking tickets.” He e-mailed from Sweden: “I started this process by wondering what would happen in a world where I received them with a set of graceful postures: a clean bend at the waist, a gentle lift of the windshield wiper . . . I’m going to get the ticket either way, my only choice really is how I’m going to receive it.”
Anyway, it didn’t work. Yesterday two tickets arrived: $400 or so dollars for the usual minor infractions. One day, someone in Victoria is going to offer this defence to a dangerous-driving charge: “Your honour, I was watching the speedometer instead of the road.”
(Via ex-blogger turned twitterer Jules Crittenden)
===
RACE AND NATIONALITY DIFFERENT
Tim Blair
There may be just one tiny flaw in Irfan Yusuf’s latest attempted take-down:
A group of indigenous activists have … commenced legal action against Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt.All kind of accurate so far. But now we hit a problem:
Bolt commented on certain fair-skinned people identifying themselves as Aboriginal.
He wrote that “this self-identification as Aboriginal strikes me as self-obsessed, and driven more by politics than by any racial reality”.
Bolt is of Dutch heritage. If he were to see neo-conservative ex-Muslim writer Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the street without knowing who she was, would he recognise her as Dutch? She holds a Dutch passport, and was in the Dutch parliament. She embraces Enlightenment values with the fervour of a fundamentalist. But she is black.Irfan, for whatever stupid reason, is confusing racial identity (colour) with nationality (born in Somalia, Ayaan Hirsi Ali subsequently became a Dutch citizen) and also – weirdly – belief ("She embraces Enlightenment values … But she is black”. You got a problem with that, Irf?).
Many Dutch citizens are of African background. Were someone to see a black women on a street in Leeuwarden, the natural assumption would be that she was Dutch. Similarly, anyone meeting a black person in the US would assume them to be American. Anyone seeing Irfan in Karachi would assume him to be Pakistani; see Irfan in Sydney and you’d guess him to be Australian.
But the natural assumption when meeting a white person is not to think they are Aboriginal. Nor do people ordinarily think a black person is white. Their nationality is another issue: black or white, they could be Dutch, Australian, American, English, African, you name it. Irfan continues:
Sadly, we must put up with the babblings of those who know little.No, we don’t. We just have to avoid buying the Age, where Irfan’s nonsense appeared. It’s surprisingly easy.
===
ECOWRAP
Tim Blair
Cutting edge eco-news collected by me, your trusted envirofriend:
• George F. Will reviews an essay bearing the impressive title: “The Earth Doesn’t Care if You Drive a Hybrid.”
• Victorians Greens want to close coal plants:
The policy paper includes goals of cutting emissions to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 and zero net emissions by 2050. It does not include a detailed plan for replacing coal.• Former Obama fan Glenn Hurowitz is an Obama fan no more:
I confess that when I initially heard of it, I thought Bill McKibben’s drive to return solar panels to the White House was essentially a waste of time: of all the things to ask the president, it seemed like the smallest, most insignificant, and easiest. It certainly wouldn’t solve the climate crisis. And it would allow President Obama to cloak himself in a symbolic green action that let him cover a rapidly worsening environmental record.(Via Marc Morano)
I realize now that its very simplicity made the solar panels a masterstroke that clearly exposed, more than any big policy ask ever would, President Obama’s unwillingness or inability to confront our great planetary crisis. Because even in this smallest of disappointments, Obama responded in a way that was a caricature of his failure-by-committee administration: sending mid-level officials to tell the greatest American environmental activist of our time that the president was rejecting their request out of hand …
• It’s the year of the sceptic! (Via Benny Peiser)
• Ezra Levant: “The idea of Greenpeace activists breaking into a Saudi or Iranian refinery and shutting it down, like they regularly do in Canada, is unthinkable …” But very, very appealing, for reasons later described by Levant.
• A new poll at the Washington Post asks: “What’s the best term for describing the changes happening to the Earth’s climate?” One of the options – currently not doing so well – is “Don’t care”.
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LEONARD SKINNER
Tim Blair
Leonard Skinner, arguably the most influential high school gym teacher in American popular culture, has died at 77.
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